Corythalia metallica ( Peckham & Peckham, 1894 )

Bayer, Steffen, Höfer, Hubert & Metzner, Heiko, 2020, Revision of the genus Corythalia C. L. Koch, 1850, part 1: Diagnosis and new species from South America (Araneae: Salticidae: Salticinae: Euophryini), Zootaxa 4806 (1), pp. 1-144 : 79-81

Corythalia metallica ( Peckham & Peckham, 1894)

Figs 38 A–B, 59C, 66D, 69I

Dynamius metallicus Peckham & Peckham 1894: 694 , pl. 61, figs 2, 2a–c (description & illustration of ♂). Holotype ♂ from Saint Vincent And The Grenadines (Lesser Antilles, Windward Islands): St. Vincent Island; Herbert H. Smith leg. 1887– 1892, who had been sent out by Mr. F. DuCane Godman to assist the Committee for the exploration of the Fauna & Flora of the West Indian Islands, appointed by the British Association and by the Royal Society ( Sclater 1893), G.W. & E.G. Peckham Coll. No. 657, MCZ 22043; 1 ♂ paratype with the same data as for holotype, except Mustique Island and G.W. & E.G. Peckham Coll. No. 1163, MCZ 35199; all type material examined.

Corythalia metallica — Simon 1901: 654 (transfer from Dynamius to Corythalia ).

Diagnosis. Males distinguished from those of all other Corythalia species by the following characters in combination: embolus (E) (actual tubular section) moderately long [slightly shorter than width of tegulum (T)], narrow (width of E at central section only about 1/2 the width of RTA at central section, in ventral view, Figs 38A , 66D ), minimally S-shaped, without widened section(s) at distal half and distally not evenly bifurcated, but with relatively long, light and slightly hook-shaped retrolateral extension and very short, conical and darker prolateral extension ( Figs 38A , 66D ); distal section of E directed prolatero-distally; embolus base (EB) circle quite broad (broader than 2/3 the width of T, Figs 38A , 66D ). T covering just about 1/3 of palpal tibia ( Figs 38A , 66D ).

Description. Male (only measurements of holotype taken as paratype male is extremly similar): total length 6.2, carapace length 3.2, maximal carapace width 2.6, width of eye rectangle 1.9, opisthosoma length 2.7, opisthosoma width 2.1, fovea length 0.23. EYES: AME 0.63, ALE 0.38, PME 0.10, PLE 0.34, AME–AME 0.04, AME–ALE 0.05, PME–PME 1.67, PME–PLE 0.30, ALE–PLE 0.80, PLE–PLE 1.46, clypeus height at AME 0.28, clypeus height at ALE 0.71. Cheliceral furrow with 1 promarginal and 1 retromarginal teeth. SPINATION: palp: no spines. Legs: femur I 1500, II 1600, 1500, III 1500, 1600, IV 0600; patella I–II 1000, III–IV 1010; tibia I 2005, II 3015, III–IV 3133; metatarsus I 2024, 2014, II 2024, III 3134, IV 4044. MEASUREMENT OF PALP AND LEGS: palp 2.5 [1.0, 0.4, 0.3, 0.8], I 5.9 [2.0, 1.0, 1.3, 1.0, 0.6], II 5.9 [2.0, 1.0, 1.2, 1.1, 0.6], III 7.0 [2.2, 1.1, 1.5, 1.5, 0.7], IV 6.7 [2.1, 1.0, 1.4, 1.5, 0.7]. LEG FORMULA: 342&1 (&: legs connected with & exactly the same length). COPULATORY ORGAN: embolus (E) moderately long [shorter than width of tegulum (T)], narrow (width of E at central section about 1/2 the width of RTA in ventral view), minimally S-shaped and distally not evenly bifurcated but with relatively long, light and slightly hook-shaped retrolateral extension and very short, conical and darker prolateral extension ( Figs 38A , 66D ); width of embolus base (EB) circle more than 2/3 the width of T; T (slightly) narrower than cymbium ( Figs 38A , 66D ); sperm duct double-stacked S-shaped, occupying nearly 2/3 of T from retrolateral; proximal tegulum lobe in retrolateral section, hardly distinguished from remaining T-section but T in retrolatero-proximal direction rather blunt-rounded conically converging; cymbium in ventral view distally conically converging and at distalmost section rounded (even though in holotype tip of cymbium slightly shrunken); palpal tibia not distinctly short, about as long as broad ( Figs 38 A–B, 66D, 69I) and ventral tibial bump in ventral view large and very conspicuous, conical and located subdistally at prolatero-central section at palpal tibia; RTA narrow, with retrolatero-distal direction and dorsally with slight serration ( Figs 38A , 66D ), in retrolateral view serration not recognisable and RTA quite slim ( Figs 38B , 69I ). COLOURATION: see genus description for conservative aspects. Carapace dark (red-) brown ( Fig. 59C ). Legs dark brown to red-brown ( Fig. 59C ). Opisthosoma like noted in genus description under general dorsal colouration, however, with some peculiarities: transversal light bands relatively narrow, posteriormost band medially clearly interrupted, central band with a broad W-shaped patch centrally and the dark sections between the light bands with longitudinal light band medially (concerns first, meaning, anterior dark section) and several light chevron patches in a longitudinal row medially (second, meaning, posterior dark section) ( Fig. 59C ).

Female: unknown.

Remarks. The holotype male from St. Vincent had been designated as “type” by Peckham & Peckham (1894), which is equivalent to holotype, whereas the male from Mustique had been designated as “co-type”, which is equivalent to paratype.

Within the C. waleckii species-group C. metallica is most similar to C. chalcea and C. electa . All these species have a comparatively narrow embolus that is, if at all, minimally S-shaped, a spermduct occupying at most the retrolateral 2/3 of tegulum and a palpal tibia which is about as long as broad or even longer. It is well imaginable that these species are (quite) closely related to C. metallica . Corythalia metallica is the last species that we consider belonging to the C. waleckii species-group. In our opinion all species following below do not belong to this particular species-group.

Distribution. Known only from St. Vincent Island and Mustique Island (Lesser Antilles).

Figures

FIGURE 38. Corythalia metallica, male holotype from Saint Vincent Island (Lesser Antilles). A–B left palp (A ventral view; B retrolateral view).

FIGURE 59. Corythalia spp., photographic images of male specimens, dorsal view. Corythalia electa: A Lectotype from Colombia. Corythalia chalcea: B. Male AMNH-IZC 00327853 from Aragua, Venezuela. Corythalia metallica: C Holotype from St. Vincent Island. Corythalia blanda: D Paralectotype M-3 from Trinidad. Corythalia xanthopa: E Male AMNH-IZC 00326886-II from Aragua, Venezuela. Corythalia latior sp. nov.: F. Holotype from El Beni, Bolivia. Corythalia hadzji: G Lectotype from Upper Demerara-Berbice, Guyana. Corythalia trochophora Bayer, sp. nov.: H Holotype from Tungurahua, Ecuador. Corythalia lineata Bayer, sp. nov.: I Holotype from East Berbice-Corentyne, Guyana.

FIGURE 66. Corythalia spp., photographic images of left palps of male specimens, ventral view. Corythalia electa: A Lectotype from Colombia. Corythalia chalcea: Male AMNH-IZC 00327893 (B) and male AMNH-IZC 00327910-3 (C) from Aragua, Venezuela. Corythalia metallica: D Holotype from St. Vincent Island. Corythalia blanda: E Paralectotype M-3 from Trinidad. Corythalia xanthopa: F Male M-4, AMNH-IZC 00326903 from Aragua, Venezuela. Corythalia latior sp. nov.: G Holotype from El Beni, Bolivia. Corythalia hadzji: H Lectotype from Upper Demerara-Berbice, Guyana. Corythalia trochophora Bayer, sp. nov.: I Holotype from Tungurahua, Ecuador. Corythalia lineata Bayer, sp. nov.: J Holotype from East Berbice-Corentyne, Guyana. Corythalia hamulifera Bayer, sp. nov.: K Holotype from south-eastern part of Ecuador.

FIGURE 69. Corythalia spp., photographic images of left palps of male specimens, retrolateral view. Corythalia cincta: A Holotype from Presidente Hayes, Paraguay. Corythalia scutellaris Bayer, sp. nov.: B Holotype from south-eastern part of Ecuador. Corythalia waleckii: C Syntype MIZ 225794 from Cayenne, French Guiana. Corythalia tropica: D Holotype from Falcon, Venezuela. Corythalia foelixi Bayer, sp. nov.: E Holotype from Cayenne, French Guiana. Corythalia fulgipedia: F Male AMNH-IZC 00327329 from Aragua, Venezuela. Corythalia electa: G Lectotype from Colombia. Corythalia chalcea: H Male AMNH-IZC 00327893 from Aragua, Venezuela. Corythalia metallica: I Holotype from St. Vincent Island. Corythalia blanda: J Paralectotype M-1 from Trinidad. Corythalia xanthopa: K Male M-2, AMNH-IZC 00326903, from Aragua, Venezuela. Corythalia latior sp. nov.: L Holotype from Beni, Bolivia.